Comments about oreilly iPod: The Missing Manual, Fifth Edition:

First, let me say I have read a lot of iPod books. Some have been very informative (especially when I got my first iPod and there was a lot I didn't know). This book is right up at the top of the list for ones I would recommend. For one thing, it covers all the latest iPods with the exception that the Shuffle now comes in colors. The last iPod book I read didn't have any information on the iPod with Video (which I have now), so this book contains new information for me, not just a new way of going over what I already knew.

Since the iPod can be used with a Mac or Windows PC, you will notice the screenshots in this book are about equally divided. Some show Windows pictures and others Mac pictures. You may not even notice the difference since Apple has done so well making both versions almost identical.

This book is in full color and almost every page has a screenshot or picture that is big enough to see the details. I learned quite a few things I didn't know about my current iPod, like the ability to use it as a stopwatch. There were lots of other tips that I really hadn't known that much about also. If you don't know you can do something, how would you know to try and find out how to do it?

All iPod books tell how to use iTunes as well as the iPod. No exception here.

There are plenty of third party software applications that can be purchased or downloaded for free. Hardware to enhance the iPod experience is also available as we all know. Different devices are reviewed as to what they do and how you would use them, such as connecting your iPod to an existing audio system or listening to it in your car through an inexpensive cassette adapter or an expensive FM Transmitter.

Since many of us have video capability on our iPods, tips are provided on how to convert video to play on the iPod (other than just purchasing video from the iTunes store). If you are interested in streaming your iPod using Airport Express or just plugging into a speaker system, you can learn what advantages there are either way. It is always good to know as much as possible before spending more money.

One thing I would like to know more about but didn't see much information here is earbuds that cancel outside noise but fit well. You can't just try out different earbuds in a store to see which ones you like, so reading about other people's experiences is about the best you can do. Some of the earbuds can cost $200-400 which is too expensive for me, but I would pay $40 for some that were better than what I already have. A couple of headphones are shown in this book but nothing on different earbuds.

If you need to troubleshoot your iPod, there is a chapter telling you how. I once got a call from my brother at work asking me how to reset his iPod which had frozen up. If you are home and have a book, you can look it up or go on the Internet, but that isn't usually where these things happen.

Comments about oreilly iPod: The Missing Manual, Fifth Edition:

Over the holidays I met up with an old friend. O'Reilly, the publishers, sent me a review copy of a new release in their "The Missing Manual" series. It is the 5th Edition of iPod - The Missing Manual by J.D.Biersdorfer. I can recall reviewing the first and second editions in 2003 and 2004 respectively and here we are already with the fifth generation.

I call the book an old friend as I really like manuals and the O'Reilly series and the earlier iPod books in particular. I miss the manual-in-the-box experience when it comes to software. Granted you can find your way around a bit without it and the Help helps a bit. But as the jingle says - there is nothing like the real thing - if you want to get to know about something efficiently and comprehensively, you need a manual.

So, how has it developed? The titling history gives a pointer to the whole iPod phenomenon. Edition one only had iPod in the title; Edition two had iPod & iTunes; and now we are back to iPod only. The content has matured also and is now directly aimed at what an iPOD user needs to know. All editions covered iTunes as well as the iPod. To me the earlier books were aimed at computer users who might want to play around with an iPod. There is probably enough there for a learned PhD.

Now to this latest book. Up front I must admit that I do not possess an iPod and have never used one. However, having read the book I reckon I could pick up an iPod now and use it like a champ! The book has worked for me.

A short Introduction section is followed by sections on:

Meet the iPod: out of the box and into your ears in 15 minutes - a quick start to getting some music into iTunes on the Mac or PC and thence into the iPod and to your ears.

Bopping Around the iPod - once the panic of having a 'first listen' is dealt with in the first section, this section explores all the iPod features and menus and general care giving.

In Tune with iTunes - covers the basic use of iTunes and its interconnection with the iPod. A large section also useful to a music lover without an iPod.

The Power of Playlists - delves into iTunes further explaining playlists and their benefits.

Shop the iTunes Store - how to shop at the store; how to manage the purchased materials; and how to deal with problems that might arise (eg an interrupted download).

Videos Everywhere - all about videos on the iPod including buying, loading and even converting your existing video material to iPod specifications.

Picturing Your Photos on the iPod - loading photos and viewing, both on the iPod and on a TV.

Other Stuff the iPod Can Do for You - explains using the iPod as an address book, calendar, stop watch (actually very handy with lap times and memory of five training sessions), world clock and portable hard drive and reading text files.

iPod Out Loud - connecting to car and home stereos, wireless connections and sources of iPod accessories.

What to Do When the iPod Isn't Working Right - the important steps to diagnosis; resetting; software update, restoring; battery tips; and repairs. The point is made that the iPod is not simply a music player, it is a little computer and it can have computer type glitches. A simple reset may be all that is required...

Advanced iPodding - the fun stuff like connecting your iPod to your running shoes, and advice on using and creating podcasts.

Index and Table of Contents - the Index (at the back of the book) and Table of Contents (at the front) are comprehensive and seem to cover everything. For those who don't like reading manuals from cover to cover (and I think that there are some people like that) the Index should help them find what they need.

Over the past few years I have come to appreciate the O'Reilly The Missing Manual Series. The books are clear and simple and logically laid out - with lots of pictures. The production quality is also high - well laid out, good printing, clear pictures. The level is suitable for beginners while still interesting and helpful to more knowledgeable users. This latest one on the iPod is all that. Without ever having used an iPod, I was able follow the book easily, with enjoyment, and now know all about using one.

Something I would mention, that applies to all The Missing Manual series of books, is the concept of The Missing CD-ROM. O'Reilly has an innovative approach to the practice of including a helpful CD-ROM with an instruction book - there is none! - at a saving of $US5 per book, but what would have been on the CD-ROM is available on the O'Reilly web site, www.missingmanuals.com. Each item of add on and shareware software mentioned in each manual is available there.

In summary, iPod: The Missing Manual is a good book and one that all iPod owners should have - in fact it should have been in the original box. I would go so far as to say that the investment in an iPod could not be fully utilised without this book.

Comments about oreilly iPod: The Missing Manual, Fifth Edition:

The sample code is available for download from from http://examples.oreilly.com/sqlhks/

The zip file includes SQL statements for each of the popular implementations. The DDL (data definition language) statements create the sample tables. The DML (data manipulation language) statements add sample data and show the hack.

All of the examples are relatively short and it is is easy to copy and paste the code.

Comments about oreilly iPod: The Missing Manual, Fifth Edition:

Title: iPod the Missing Manual, Fifth Edition

Author: J.D. Biersdorfer

Publisher: O'Reilly, Pogue Press

ISBN-10: 0-596-52978-3; ISBN-13: 978-0-596-52978-9

Reviewed by: Curt Blanchard, Tucson Macintosh Users Group

Date: 1/2/07

I'm a huge fan of the O'Reilly missing manual series. These are the go-to bibles for the times when you need more information than the meager instruction sheets provide. Time was when you could expect a good, thick manual in the box with your software or gadget. No more. These days, if you're lucky, you'll get a Quick Start guide and a link to the company website. This is where O'Reilly/Pogue Press comes riding to the rescue with the Missing Manuals, "The book that should have been in the box".

The new iPod the Missing Manual Fifth Edition is 240 pages and was published in November 2006 and it covers all the new iPods _ Video iPods and new 2nd Generation Nanos and Shuffle. Of course, by the time you read this, MacWorld Expo 2007 in San Francisco will have unleashed lots of new things upon us so realize that we live in a fast changing world.

J.D. Biersdorfer, once again, shines with her authoritative knowledge and wit. She covers the subjects in depth but with a light hand _ tough to do but she's good at it. She is the computer Q&A columnist for the New York Times and is comfortable with both the Mac and PC platforms. This is important because this book covers the iPod in both worlds.

Biersdorfer starts with the iPod basics and then explores iTunes including playlists and storage. There are chapters on video and photos, on listening via external speakers, stereo systems, etc. and there is a useful troubleshooting section at the end.

This particular edition was printed in full color in Canada. I can understand color for a book on iPhoto, but it doesn't really seem necessary here _ even though it's nicer than black and white.

If you are an experienced user, you might consider the bigger iPod and iTunes Fourth Edition (300+ pages) which goes into a little more depth. I have to believe there will be a Fifth edition of this excellent book coming shortly.

Meanwhile, iPod the Missing Manual Fifth Edition is an ideal choice for the new iPodder. Recommended.

Comments about oreilly iPod: The Missing Manual, Fifth Edition:

If you've recently received an iPod and thought "so I can play music, now what", this is a book you might want to pick up. It covers pretty much everything you might want to know about iPod ownership. The things I really liked about the book are the full color images, the clean look and the whole layout in general - very visually pleasing.

Along with the nice visual aspects of the book, the content is readably simple and comprehensive. From every iPod feature to using iTunes to troubleshooting, this book has the information and/or references a number of web sites for even more iPod-related information.

Comments about oreilly iPod: The Missing Manual, Fifth Edition:

By pure coincidence, I received the O'Reilly book titled 'iPod: The Missing Manual' on my birthday. It happened to be the same day I received a sleek new iPod Nano as a gift. After opening the iPod package, I immediately understood why the iPod book includes the phrase 'The Missing Manual'.

The iPod Nano ships with a brief 'iPod + iTunes Quick Start'. At sixteen pages, the accordion-fold Quick Start is the same size as the Nano, only a whole lot thinner. After you learn the most basic operations of your new iPod, the Quick Start ends and you're on your own.

That's where iPod: The Missing Manual takes over. The first forty-three pages cover operation of the iPod in great detail, describing each menu, including the one that helps you reset your iPod to English if you accidentally set it to display in Greek. The book covers all iPod models, including the standard video iPods, the Nano and the Shuffle.

The real meat of this book is its thorough coverage of the iTunes program. iTunes is where you spend a lot of time importing CDs, creating and organizing playlists, purchasing and downloading music from the Apple iTunes Store and synching your iPod with your iTunes library.

The final chapters of the book cover all sorts of goodies that you'll probably want to do with your iPod just as soon as you figure out you can. Playing slideshows of your pictures on a tv, using your iPod as an address book, a calendar and a portable hard drive are all covered in the book.

The book also describes some less well-known uses for an iPod, like reading text files and recording audio. It even mentions the funky Nike+iPod Sport Kit that tracks your progress when you workout by beaming a signal from your running shoe up to a small receiver that snaps into your iPod.

Easily the coolest thing about the book is that it's printed in full color with excellent photographs, screenshots and iPod menu graphics. The text is easy to follow and to the point.

Apple should bundle this book with every iPod they sell. If you have an iPod and want to learn how to use it for more than just the very basics, I highly recommend reading this book.

Comments about oreilly iPod: The Missing Manual, Fifth Edition:

The iPod started as a fairly simple device with few options available, but that has changed. Now there are multiple models and a myriad of new features and capabilities. As good as Apple is at creating an eye-pleasing, powerful device, the documentation is lacking.

The iPod Missing Manual is a great book for beginners to understand the ins and outs of getting the most out of their little media players. If you are someone that likes to throw caution to the wind and just experiment away with every option available until you figure it all out, this book isn't for you - of course you are the type that doesn't read manuals anyway. But, if you want to read through a quick overview of all features and get some cool tips of what you can do, then approach your device as a master, this is your book.

Along with navigating all the different menus and working with iTunes, I particularly liked the chapters covering the extended uses of an iPod. Things like hooking up to your stereo and TV help new users see how their iPod can be more than "just" a digital generation's Walkman.

What I found most unique about this missing manual is how it could really be a great resource for someone trying to decide which iPod to get. Whether it is size, space or playing video and photos along with your music, you can get familiar with the various models and their options before making your purchase. Once you get your device you decide on, you then have a great reference for it.

Perhaps in the spirit the well known Apple aesthetics, this book is very well designed. The full color pages and layout of the book was enjoyable to read. I definitely recommend this title for novice and first timers to an iPod, or even new to a a next-generation model.

Level: Beginner/Novice

Rating: Recommended